November 19, 2025 - 325 views
The first Farm Fires Report from NFU Mutual has revealed that fires continued to devastate rural communities across Wales, costing an estimated £4.8m in 2024.
Across the UK farm fires cost an estimated £102m, despite there being an 18% fall in the number of UK farm fire claims involving growing crops, building and farm equipment reported to NFU Mutual last year. The ongoing high costs has prompted calls for farmers to remain vigilant around the ongoing issue.
The leading causes of farm fires were electrical faults, arson and lightning strikes.
Fire damage to agricultural vehicles across the UK also cost an estimated £37m. Last year’s cool and wet summer, coupled with farmers holding onto vehicles for longer and moving away from purchasing new vehicles, resulting in a likely lower replacement value, may have contributed to the reduction of combine harvester costs, down 52% to an estimated £3.5m.
However, the previous two years saw the cost of combine harvester fires soar, at an estimated £11m and £7.4m respectively. It is vital that rural communities are not complacent, especially as each year, hundreds of combines, tractors, and balers are still lost to fire, along with thousands of acres of valuable crops.
Hannah Binns, NFU Mutual’s Rural Affairs Specialist, said: “Back in 1910, seven farmers became frustrated at the losses caused by sparks from the nearby steam-powered railway, which often set haystacks ablaze. This collective developed into NFU Mutual and more than a century on, fire remains a constant risk to UK farms, with dangerous and devasting farm fires becoming all too common.
“These fires not only endanger the lives of farmers, farm workers and their families, but can destroy months or years of hard work, with long lasting consequences for agricultural businesses, structurally and financially.
“Beyond the immediate damage, the emotional toll of a farm fire can be significant, as individuals come to terms with the trauma and the added strain on an already demanding job.
“Farm fires can also cause disruption to local communities, damaging essential infrastructure such as power lines and overhead cables, and causing road closures that interrupt vital services.”
NFU Mutual strongly recommends fitting fire suppression systems to high-risk kit, such as combine harvesters. These systems, commonplace in other industries like forestry, are highly effective at stopping small fires spreading and engulfing the entire machine. NFU Mutual offers an insurance discount to policyholders who have combines with the approved fire suppression kits installed.
Hannah added: “To minimise the risk of a farm blaze, it’s vital that farmers develop a detailed fire plan, outlining how to evacuate safely, ensuring buildings are secure, managing livestock, and keeping machinery properly serviced and clean.
“Farm fires continue to put those who produce our food at risk, just as they did over 100 years ago. But together, we can protect our rural communities. We hope this report highlights the impact farm fires have on lives and livelihoods and sparks meaningful conversations about best practise and prevention.”
Dave Swallow, National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) Wildfire Deputy Lead and Lead Tactical Advisor, said: “Farm fires and wildfires regularly require significant fire service resource, often for extended periods of time, and they put lives at risk.
“NFCC supports and welcomes the NFU Mutual’s push for suppression systems to be fitted in farm machinery, reducing the risk of fires developing into large and more damaging incidents.
“Furthermore, we have worked with industry to produce guidance for farmers during the harvesting period, following an increase in potential risk of fires during this year's hot, dry summer.”
NFU Mutual Risk Management Services (RMS) Farm Fire Prevention Advice:
Have a plan in place – Put people at the heart of your fire plan and ensure everyone on site knows what to do in the event of a fire. The biggest priority in the event of a fire is to evacuate everyone safely, including people working in or living around the premises, taking special care to assist any vulnerable people.
Maintain your electrics – Electrical faults are a major cause of farm fires and electric shocks can cause death or severe injury. Don’t try and attempt electrical work yourself and always use a qualified and competent electrician for work and inspections. DIY modifications, poor environmental conditions (such as wet, damp or acidic atmospheres), rodents, overloaded sockets and simple wear and tear are common causes of electrical fires on farms.
Suppress the risk – Suppression systems play a critical role in detecting, containing and extinguishing fire. Whether you have a biomass boiler or a combine harvester, when working in hot, dry conditions, fire suppression systems can save lives and property. It may also be worth placing water bowsers in fields on hot days.
Keep on top of your housekeeping – Good housekeeping is essential to ensure materials and machinery are stored correctly and helps to eliminate dust and debris. Cleaning dust and chaff off machines helps heat dissipate from hot parts of machinery. The build-up of waste and materials not only adds to the fuel that can burn in a fire but can block escape routes and cause trip hazards in an emergency.
Control hot work – Welding, cutting or grinding equipment, along with blowlamps and blow torches, produce sparks which can turn into fires if they hit combustible material. If work can’t be done outside, ensure you are in a clear, open area and far away from combustible materials (including combustible building structures). Anyone carrying out hot works on your farm should be subject to a strict ‘Permit to Work’ system.
If a fire breaks out:
• Call the Fire and Rescue Service immediately
• Make sure everyone is made aware of the fire and evacuate people to a safe location as per your emergency plan
• Only attempt to fight the fire if it is safe to do so and use the correct and maintained extinguishers
• Prepare to evacuate livestock, but only if safe to do so, if the fire spreads
• Prepare to use farm machinery to assist the Fire and Rescue Service, but only on their instruction
• Ensure you can direct emergency services to the exact location of the fire e.g. download the ‘what3words’ app which pinpoints specific 3m x 3m locations. Send someone to meet and direct the Fire and Rescue Service to the fire
• Ensure the farm entrance is clearly signed and access kept clear to allow Fire and Rescue Service access
NFU Mutual’s Farm Fire Report is available here.
